Democratic Senators Urge Education Department to Halt ICE School Raids

Democratic senators are calling for an immediate halt to immigration enforcement operations near schools, following a series of aggressive crackdowns in Chicago neighborhoods that have sent shockwaves through educational communities.

In a strongly worded letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon, eight Democratic senators demanded action to reinstate restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities around educational institutions. The senators cited “unwarranted, excessive levels of force” being used in proximity to schools, particularly in Chicago.

“Federal agents continue to use unwarranted, excessive levels of force around Chicago, demonstrating an alarming lack of care or regard for the health and wellbeing of children, particularly by conducting unfocused, inflammatory operations within close proximity of school grounds,” the letter stated, according to NBC News.

The senators urged McMahon to pressure Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to restore policies protecting sensitive locations like schools, hospitals, and churches from enforcement activities. The letter was signed by Tammy Duckworth (Illinois), Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen (Nevada), Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), Cory Booker and Andy Kim (New Jersey), Ed Markey (Massachusetts), and Angela Alsobrooks (Maryland).

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump rescinded a longstanding policy that had created protected zones around sensitive locations. When announcing the policy change, the Department of Homeland Security stated: “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” adding that enforcement would return to a “case-by-case basis.”

Chicago has become a focal point in the administration’s intensified immigration crackdown. School officials reported Thursday that officers had briefly detained a 16-year-old U.S. citizen who attends a local school, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Benito Juarez Community Academy Principal Juan Carlos Ocon addressed the incident in an email to families, writing: “We have received reports of federal law enforcement activity in a nearby neighborhood, and I am very sorry to share that a member of our school was impacted.” He emphasized that while enforcement did not occur on school grounds, “this situation has created many fears and concerns in our community.”

Earlier incidents have further heightened tensions. Parents reported that ICE deployed tear gas near a school during an enforcement operation, forcing students who were at recess to be rushed inside for safety.

The senators highlighted this incident in their appeal, arguing that ICE should follow “common sense” policing guidelines. “If society can agree that alcohol, tobacco and drugs should be kept at least 1,000 feet away from our schools, surely we can agree that tear gas – a chemical weapon which causes burning, pain, skin inflammation and respiratory distress – and other violent DHS tools and tactics also belong on that list,” they wrote.

Immigration enforcement near schools raises significant concerns about student wellbeing, educational access, and community trust. Education advocates have long argued that enforcement activities near schools can create a chilling effect, potentially leading to increased absences and psychological distress among immigrant students and families.

DHS previously released a statement insisting that “ICE does not raid or target schools” and accusing media outlets of “creating a climate of fear and smearing law enforcement.” Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary, said last month: “ICE is not conducting enforcement operations at, or ‘raiding’ schools. ICE is not going to schools to make arrests of children.”

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the Department of Education has responded to requests for comment on the senators’ letter. The situation continues to evolve as communities, schools, and advocacy organizations navigate the significant policy shift and its impacts on immigrant families and educational institutions.